Surfing, as a sport, has attracted enthusiasts all over the world, and many of them travel long distances to locations where ideal surfing conditions exist Particularly prized by expert surfers are the waves called "the chute" or "the pipeline", that is, waves which move with sufficient velocity and height that, when they encounter an upwardly sloping bottom of certain configuration, curl forward over the advancing base of the wave to form a tunnel, inside or at the mouth of which expert surfers move laterally across the face of the wave, seeking to keep pace with the formation of the tunnel without being caught in the collapsing portion thereof.
The formation of such waves under natural conditions requires a comparatively rare combination of factors, including wind of a certain constancy of velocity and direction, and waves of a certain velocity, direction and height, approaching a shore having a certain bottom slope and configuration. Apparently there are not many places in the world with such a favorable combination of characteristics, and surfers will travel thousands of miles to reach locations, many of them in remote areas, where such conditions exist.
Because such waves depend upon a favorable coincidence of several factors, there are few places where succeeding waves can be counted upon to be uniform for extended periods, and this militates against surfing becoming a competitive sport, that is one in which different surfers can be rated on their skill and performance under identical conditions.
Several attempts have been made to form such waves artificially, but none to date have been entirely satisfactory, as an examination of some representative references will reveal.
Matrai U S. Pat. No. 3,005,207, issued Oct. 24, 1961, discloses a swimming pool with an oscillating paddle in a deep chamber which provides simulated ocean waves for the enjoyment of swimmers and bathers in both deep and shallow portions of the pool, respectively. The structure and operation of Matrai has no relavance to the present invention.
Dexter U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,334, issued Oct. 21, 1969, discloses a wavemaking apparatus which depends upon the release of a large volume of water into a pool, with the wave shape being created by the shape of the water outlet or he the contour of the pool bottom. Although Dexter can produce breaking waves "breakers" they are not the tunnel waves desired by expert surfers, and the structure and operation of Dexter has no relevance to the present invention.
Andersen U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,233, issued Nov. 11, 1969, discloses a wave-making machine for producing gravity waves on the surface of a liquid, for use in mixing liquids, breaking up ice formations etc. The structure and operation of Andersen '233 has no relevance to the present invention.
Koster U.S Pat. No. 3,562,823, issued Feb. 16, 1971, discloses a wave-making machine for swimming pools, which depends upon the back and forth movement of a vane in a pool of water to create a wave, and utlizes a resonance effect to minimize energy usage and obtain desired large waves. The structure and operation of Koster has no relevance to the present invention.
Richard et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,612, issued Feb. 5, 1974, discloses a method of wave generation which depends upon periodic up-and-down movements of a massive body in water, coupled with shaped bottom and shoreline contours, to create waves of desired shape and size, perhaps utilizing a resonance principle. The structure and operation of Richard et al has no relevance to the present invention.
Mehaute U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,697, issued Apr. 9, 1974, discloses a wave generator for simulated surfriding which depends upon the movement of a triangular ramp-shaped structure through a body of water, which is lifted up and over the ramp, creating a wave on the surface. The structure and operation of Mehaute has no relevance to the present invention, other than using the movement of a body through water to create a wave.
Andersen U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,496, issued May 6 1980, discloses a further improvement on the wavemaking machine of Andersen '233, above, which depends upon the periodic up-and-down movement of a massive body in water to create the desired waves, perhaps using a resonance effect The structure and operation of Anderson '496 has no relevance to the present invention.
Baker U.S Pat. No. 4,276,664, issued July 7, 1981, discloses an apparatus for wave making which also, like Andersen '496, depends upon periodic up-and-down movements of a massive body in water to create desirable waves, perhaps exploiting a resonance effect. The structure and operation of Baker has no relevance to the present invention.
Bastenhof U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,535, issued June 11, 1985, discloses a surf wave generator which depends upon the release of a large volume of water into a pool, with the wave shape being created by the contour of the pool botttom. The structure and operation of Bastenhof has no relevance to the present invention
Schuster et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,719, issued Sept. 10, 1985, discloses a method and pneumatic apparatus which, like Bastenhof, also depends upon the release of a large volume of water into a pool for surf wave production, with the wave shape being created by the contour of the pool bottom. The structure and operation of Schuster has no relevance to the present invention.
The wave-making structure disclosed in Forsman U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,332, issued Oct. 21, 1975, is perhaps more closely related to the present invention than any of the previously discussed references. Forsman discloses a continuous wave surfing facility, which uses a wave-forming generator consisting of a single or double plow-shaped blade moving through an annularly-shaped body of water to form surfing waves of desired shape and size. Both single and double wave-forming blades are disclosed, propelled by a vehicle which moves along annular rails, submerged or otherwise, and generates a continuous wave for each blade which is suitable for surfing. Multiple generators can be employed to produce serial waves so that several surfers can enjoy the facility simultaneously. Provision is made for changing wave characteristics by changing the horizontal angle of the blades relative to the direction of motion, the leading edge of the blade, whether double or single, being hinged.
However, Forsman does not recognize, either explicitly or implicitly, the problem solved by the present invention, which is the generation of tunnel waves, in which the mouth or opening of the tunnel advances across the face of the wave as it moves forward. In fact, the structure of Forsman, and the description of its operation, indicate that the waves generated by the Forsman generator are different than those generated by the present invention. Forsman specifically describes his waves as decreasing in height the more remote they are from the generator, with the result that:
"higher and more challenging wave height will be found close to the (generator) while less challenging waves will be found away from the (generator) thereby providing a range from beginner to expert. A skilled surfer can choose any point along the wave and easily move to reach it by moving sideways along the wave, as well as riding high up on the wave or at its base." (Forsman, col. 4, lines 39-46).
With the waves generated by applicant's generator, however, the more skilled surfer would seek to ride further away from the generator, at that precise point on the wave which would place him at the mouth of or inside the tunnel or "pipeline". However, not even an expert, and still less a novice, would seek to ride in the region where the wave was breaking, which is beyond the end of the tunnel.